


Conversations and the Couch

by FictionalWorldsAreExquisite



Series: Chronic Pain [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Chronic Pain, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff and Humor, Humor, M/M, i wrote this when i was sleep deprived and stressed from exams. just. go with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-11 22:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16861351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionalWorldsAreExquisite/pseuds/FictionalWorldsAreExquisite
Summary: Alec makes a decision, conversations are had as he takes Magnus to show him this decisionORMagnus has chronic pain and Alec does something he thinks might help





	Conversations and the Couch

**Author's Note:**

> listen,, I'm aware of how long i'm posting this after the first,, we don't need to talk about it.
> 
> This fic is lighter, it doesn't really focus on his chronic pain as much which is important because despite living with it, we have good days, y'know? This isn't a good day fic, it's just a portion of a day where it isn't bad. We have good moments, good days. It isn't all bad. I just wanted to put one of these nice ones early on so it doesn't all just come off as an angsty mess (the next fic I've been writing for this is heavier). But again, what is mentioned is based off my experiences alone. I have chronic pain and my first run-in with it was lower right abdominal pain, which is what I've given Magnus. I don't want to give him the type I have now because although most tests have been run, it still could have a cause whereas I know for certain my last one didn't. 
> 
> IMPORTANT: As far as I can tell with this series so far, you don't need to read them in order, all you need to know is Magnus has chronic pain. It might flow nicer if you do? But I really don't think you have to. The first fic is an introduction to all this so if anything needed to be read, it'd be that, but totally up to you. They're short anyway.
> 
> also i edit my own stuff so any mistakes are all my own i'm sure there's at least one and i'm almost certain characterisation is off in this but i swear it's just this fic

Alec runs his eyes over his office. It’s not sleek and modern and white and entirely devoid of life, not hard and entirely too professional, it could even be considered comfortable. He doesn’t think it’s too bad. But the talk he had with Magnus last night got him thinking.

_“Does anything trigger your pain more?”_

_“Intense physical activity, sometimes moving wrong, standing for too long, sitting,” Magnus pauses before laughing, “breathing sometimes.”_

_Alec frowns, “And only laying down helps?”_

_“Essentially. I’ll take hard concrete or the floor if that’s all I have but I certainly prefer a soft surface, it’s easier on the rest of the body.”_

When Magnus came to keep him company a week ago while he worked his way through mounds of paperwork, he started in one of the chairs. It was the type of chair where you knew by looking at it, the comfort was a deception, cushioned but barely. Alec didn’t mind them, they weren’t made for sitting on for hours anyway. 

Magnus had started the visit sitting straight up, the epitome of elegance and shifted as the time passed, slouching down, leaning forward, leaning back, forming some sort of plank over the chair-well, restless would sum it up. Alec didn’t think much of it, it was pretty boring watching him but it clicked when Magnus stood. The wince, the slightly stiff walk to the couch, the cautious act of sitting down before taking a deep breath and smiling. Alec didn’t say anything but he knew, the chairs were obviously not good for him.

On the couch, Magnus had moved into a laying down position pretty quickly claiming he was ‘bored.’ Alec had watched as his breath hitched as he laid down though. If Magnus wanted to pretend nothing was wrong, he wouldn’t deny him that, for now. It, however, did not look particularly comfortable to try and squeeze himself on that couch. 

Alec was learning and observing and figuring out the things he shouldn’t do and the things that were okay to do. His office wasn’t bad but it could be better.

\----

“I don’t have any meetings this morning, would you like to come keep me company while I do some paperwork?”

Magnus wrinkled his nose at Alec, “paperwork is boring.”

“You have a book.”

“You have multiple books in your office and you don’t see me getting ecstatic over library time.”

“You’ve got a lot of love for me and want to help a guy stay awake to do this job?”

Magnus narrowed his eyes, “that’s manipulation, it’s working. Let me just,” as he stood he let out a small gasp of air and clutched his side before calming and clearing his throat, “just, uh, grab another book to take with me. I’m nearly finished this one.”

“Okay?” Alec asked softly, concerned but not pitying. He still had a bruise to show why pitying was a bad idea, not that Magnus meant to hit him that hard.

“Okay.”

They’d agreed on a system. One word didn’t seem as bad as constantly asking, ‘are you okay?’ ‘how are you?’ ‘how’s the pain?’ ‘what’s the pain like today?’ but they both knew what Alec was really asking. Alec hadn’t pushed but Magnus had understood he just wanted to know how he was doing. It was fine until-

“Maybe okay will be our always.”

There it was. Alec scowled and Magnus snickered at his expression. 

\----

“So...inviting me to your office...who knows what could happen.”

Alec paused just inside the Institute doors and narrowed his eyes, “behave.”

“I would never, Alexander.”

Alec sighed and continued walking, Magnus next to him, “of course not, my expectations are too high. Right then, today’s rules, clothes _on_ at _all_ times.”

“What if I stop time?”

“Then you can do whatever you want.”

“Eenie meenie miney moe, catch a warlock by their toe, freeze the time then let them go, eenie meenie miney moe,” Magnus goes to pull out his phone.

“ _No_ ,” Alec stole his phone, “you will not be doing that.”

Magnus pouted, “you’re no fun.”

Alec was about to point out what a good mood Magnus was in when he stopped himself, that was one of the things his boyfriend mentioned. _If you point out I’m in a good mood, I’ll probably just start wondering how long it’s going to last and become more aware of my pain again. Just leave it be._ “You’re impossible.”

They stopped in front of Alec’s office. Alec wrang his hands together nervously, “so I kind of did something.”

“Who did you kill? Digging would almost certainly trigger my pain but I’ll do it for you.”

“As sweet and morally concerning as that is, no one’s dead.”

“Dammit I’m alive? I never knew.”

“Magnus.”

“Oh, serious name tone. Alec.”

“I got something. In the office. I mean, really it’s for anyone but I was thinking of you when I got it, not that you need to know that and I wasn’t going to say anything but you would’ve asked me anyway because this office has been through twenty ownerships and not a single piece of dust has changed and you’d know that since you’re, y’know, old-”

Magnus put his finger to Alec’s lip, “okay, shh, first of all. Second of all, old? How dare you. I haven’t even reached a millennium yet.”

Alec licked his finger and Magnus pulled away, puffing up his chest and trying to appear taller, and in a bad imitation of Alec’s voice, “ _behave_.”

Alec’s face cracked in a smile slightly and he pushed open the door, “gentlemen first.”

“You just want to stare at my ass,” but Magnus stepped forward anyway.

“Exactly, that’s why you’re going first, I’m not the gentleman here.”

Magnus froze and Alec walked into him, “Alexander. My, what would you from a few months ago say if you heard yourself say that?”

“He’d probably die on the spot but you know, people change.” Alec gave him a little nudge forward. “In.”

Magnus looked around, “no dead bodies, too much paperwork - Alec, have you been procrastinating again?” Magnus tsks, “bad behavior.”

Alec can see him puffing up his chest again and tries to stop him, “no.”

Mocking Alec’s voice yet again, “ _behave._ ”

Alec sighs, “well? Anything else?”

“Tattoo plans for my face on your ass.”

“ _Magnus._ ” Far be it from him to deny Magnus the joy he’s been getting out of their back and forth banter but he still has limits.

“Fine.” Magnus looks around properly this time and takes everything in. “I’m pretty sure that photo of me wasn’t there last time but you have a stash of those you swap daily for that frame anyway-”

“I do not!”

“-other than that, the big comfy monster couch I plan on drooling on if you let me lay on it?”

“Magnus Bane admits to drooling?”

“I never said it would be an accident.”

“Magnus-ew.”

“So, you mysteriously have a comfy couch in the ‘you’re in big trouble’ office, explain.”

“You. Comfort. Good.”

“You want to cuddle on here instead of doing your paperwork? Alexander, why didn’t you just say so? I like how you think.”

“No I...Magnus, I got the couch so you’d be more comfortable spending time here, especially if you’re, y’know, sore or something.”

There’s a bit of silence. 

“If you don’t like it, I mean, I can throw it out the window and pretend this never happened.”

“I like it.”

“Oh. Oh! Good! Yes. I don’t actually think I can lift it by myself.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to. Besides, now I can take naps in the middle of work.” It’s a lie, Alec has no intention of doing that but Magnus doesn’t have to know.

Magnus smiles softly, “thank you, Alexander. This means a lot.”

Alec awkwardly shrugs his shoulders and avoids eye contact, “it’s just a couch.”

“That you put thought into.”

“I put thought into everything.”

“Nice try, no you don’t.”

“I did something nice for you! Be nice.”

Magnus puffs up his chest.

“No! Magnus! Do not-”

“ _Be nice_ ,” Magnus mocks in Alec’s voice. 

Alec sighs, his suffering is worth Magnus’ happiness, right? Right. Right? Probably.

**Author's Note:**

> so you made it to the end, wow I feel like a Cap PSA. anyway I had an idea, which I would like to get around to eventually. as you can tell by how late this fic is don't have high expectations on how soon it'll happen. BUT. Would you like to ask questions in the comments about chronic pain? I'm thinking of inserting a fic between the first and this one where Alec asks Magnus questions about his Chronic pain. In this fic, there was a flashback to a sort of questioning. It'd be like that but longer. Not like super formal like [question] [serious doctor answer] just casual hey what's it like, what helps, are you able to, do you ever feel like- You know what I mean? I know some questions I've been asked in the past but outside questions from people who don't have experience with this thing would be great! Because me making up questions is hard, I don't know everything an outsider would like to know. Alec is essentially an outsider in this fic so trust me, there are no dumb questions, you probably know about as much as Alec if not more. You don't have to, just if you want to. :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys! Let me know what you think and if you want a specific sort of scenario with this! oh also no i have 0 expectations for someone to buy a couch for me sljdhf this fic just happened


End file.
